Former Components 1 driver David Coulthard says George Russell’s bruising 2026 marketing campaign has grow to be a “character-building” train, claiming the Mercedes driver’s present run of dangerous luck is just too unbelievable for a Rocky movie.
Russell received the Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese language dash race, however his season has since taken a flip. As F1 enters its August shutdown, the Briton trails his teenage team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who leads the drivers’ standings, by 59 factors.
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Talking on the Up To Velocity podcast, Coulthard mirrored on the primary half of Russell’s season. Since his triumph in Melbourne, the 28-year-old has been hit by technical issues in China, an ill-timed security automotive in Japan, a string of penalties in Monaco, an engine failure whereas main in Canada and energy unit points in Belgium.
Most not too long ago, an anti-stall glitch off the road in Hungary eradicated him from rivalry earlier than the primary nook.
“It has been a shocker. How a lot dangerous luck can one individual have?” Coulthard defined.
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“On one aspect, that dangerous luck is one thing that the crew need to work via. On the opposite aspect, George is not on the crest of a wave. It is like while you see a tennis participant: they have the excessive ball and it’ll be a straightforward smash to win the purpose, after which they put it within the web as a result of they begin overthinking it.
George Russell, Mercedes
“George is in that section of the season the place Kimi is simply instinctively driving and having, apart from Barcelona, some fairly good reliability, whereas George has been taking the punches and he is a bit bit older.
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“Expertise is an efficient factor, however the good thing about youth is you do not know what you do not know. The draw back of expertise is you do know the challenges and the issue and momentum and all these good issues.
“As we all know from Max Verstappen final 12 months, it is nonetheless potential to come back again from that factors deficit. However pay attention, not even Sylvester Stallone would write a Rocky film with that form of comeback from all of the punches that he is taken. So it’ll be a character-building 12 months for George.”
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